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Richmond, Kentucky
Richmond is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is the home of Eastern Kentucky University. The population was 31,364 at the 2010 census. Richmond is Kentucky's seventh-largest city (after Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Covington, and Hopkinsville), the third largest city in the Bluegrass region (after Louisville and Lexington), and the largest city between Lexington and Knoxville located along Interstate 75. Richmond serves as the center for work and shopping for south central Kentucky. Richmond is the principal city of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties. History The City of Richmond was founded in 1798 by Colonel John Miller, a soldier in the Revolutionary War. According to tradition, Miller was attracted to the area by the good spring water and friendly Native Americans. That year, the Kentucky legislature approved moving the county seat from Milford to land owned by Colonel Miller. The residents of Milford adamantly opposed the move, which led to a fist fight between Dave Kennedy (representing Milford) and William Kearly (representing Richmond). Nevertheless, the county approved the move in March 1798. On July 4, 1798, the new town was named Richmond in honor of Miller's Virginia birthplace.Chamber of Commerce website, "City History", retrieved August 28, 2009. On August 30, 1862, during the Civil War, the Union and Confederate Armies clashed in the Battle of Richmond. Troops under Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith routed the soldiers of Union General William Nelson. Out of Nelson's 6,500 men, only 1,200 escaped; the rest were all captured.The History Channel website. "This Day in History- August 30, 1862- The Battle of Richmond, Kentucky," retrieved August 28, 2009. One historian called this battle "the nearest thing to a Cannae ever scored by any general, North or South, in the course of the whole war." Foote, Shelby, The Civil War, A Narrative: Fort Sumter to Perryville'', Random House, 1958, ISBN 0-394-49517-9 In 1906, Eastern Kentucky State Normal School was founded in Richmond to train teachers. There were eleven members of the first graduating class in 1909. It became a four-year college in 1922 and added graduate programs in 1935. In 1965, the institution was renamed Eastern Kentucky University.Eastern Kentucky University website, "About Eastern Kentucky University", retrieved August 28, 2009 In the late 1990s and through the first decade of the 21st century, Richmond had a commercial and residential boom. Richmond is currently Kentucky's seventh-largest city, moving up four places from Kentucky's eleventh-largest city in the 2000 census.US Census, "Kentucky by Place", retrieved July 28, 2010 Transportation Public transportation The Richmond Transit Service operates public buses for the City of Richmond at a rate of $1 per day or $7 for a ten day pass. In addition to service within the city the RTS runs a suburban commuter bus line from Berea to Richmond in addition to a commuter bus line between Lexington and Richmond. Interstate highways * Richmond is served by Interstate 75, which routes north to Lexington and Cincinnati, Ohio; and south to Knoxville, Tennessee. A total of three exits direct motorists from the interstate toward the city. US Highways * US 25 is also known as Lexington Road, Main Street, and Berea Road. * US 421 runs concurrently with US 25 through Richmond; it is also known as the Battlefield Memorial Highway, Kentucky State Highways * KY 169 is also known locally as Tates Creek Road. The highway goes north to Lexington; a ferry service crosses the Kentucky River at the border of Madison County with Fayette County. * KY 52 is known as either Irvine Road, leading east to Estill County, or Lancaster Road, when heading west to Garrard County. * KY 876, also known as the Eastern By-Pass and as the Dr. Robert Martin By-Pass, circles Richmond and serves as a beltway for the city. Railroad Richmond lies on the Cincinnati Southern Railway, which originally in 1880 linked Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and, as of 2014, is part of the Norfolk Southern Railway.Cincinnati Southern Railway historical note Geography Richmond is located at (37.744720, -84.293562). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.73%) is water. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Richmond has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Richmond, Kentucky Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 27,152 people, 10,795 households, and 5,548 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,420.4 people per square mile (548.3/km²). There were 11,857 housing units at an average density of 620.3/sq mi (239.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.30% White, 8.27% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population. There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.78. In the city the population was spread out with 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,533, and the median income for a family was $36,222. Males had a median income of $30,817 versus $22,053 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,815. About 16.6% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over. Education Richmond is served by the Madison County School System.Madison County Schools website, retrieved August 28,2 009. Schools located in Richmond include: Elementary schools * Daniel Boone * Glenn Marshall * Kirksville * Kit Carson * Mayfield * White Hall * Model Laboratory School * Waco Elementary Middle schools * B. Michael Caudill Middle School * Clark-Moores Middle School * Madison Middle School * Model Laboratory School High schools * Madison Central High School * Bellevue Education Center * Model Laboratory School Private schools * St. Mark Catholic School (grades PreK to 8) * Bluegrass Christian School Post-secondary education * Eastern Kentucky University * National College of Business & Technology Law and government Richmond operates under a council–manager government. The citizens elect a mayor and four city commissioners which form the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners is the legislative body of the city government and represents the interests of the citizens when applicable. The Board of Commissioners appoints a city manager who administers the day-to-day operations of the city. The mayor is elected for a term of four years. Each city commissioner is elected for a term of two years. The term of the city manager is indefinite. Cityscape The city has numerous parks, the most prominent being Lake Reba Recreational Complex. Paradise Cove, the city's aquatic center, is located in the complex along with a horse shoe pit, putt-putt golf course, football field, soccer field, baseball and softball fields, and a playground. The downtown business district consists of many Victorian style structures, including the Glyndon Hotel. The only high rise in the downtown area is Madison Towers. The majority of the city's high rises are located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) which include the 20 story Commonwealth Hall, the 16 story Keene Hall, the 13 story Telford Hall, and two 12-story buildings, Todd and Dupree Halls. The 2,000-seat EKU Center for the Arts was completed in 2011 on Lancaster Avenue. The center houses the only theater in central Kentucky with a “fly system” that allows quick changing of sets suitable for Broadway-type performances. Although it opened only recently, the performing arts center has already hosted several notable events, including Mannheim Steamroller, Garrison Keillor, Wynton Marsalis, “Riverdance,” Monty Python's “Spamalot,” the Munich Symphony Orchestra, The Temptations, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, and the popular NPR radio program, “Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!”url=http://www.eku.edu/news/tickets-sale-inaugural-season-eku-center-arts Economy The Richmond economy is supported by many diverse entities:Richmond-Madison County Community Profile * Eastern Kentucky University * Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) * AGC - a North American flat glass manufacturer, subsidiary of Asahi Glass Co. * Sherwin-Williams Media Newspaper The Eastern Progress - weekly (Student publication of Eastern Kentucky University) The Richmond Register - daily (owned by Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.)Community Newspaper Holdings website Radio stations * WEKY (1340 AM) * WCBR (1110 AM) * WEKU (88.9 FM) * WVLK-FM (101.5 FM) * WCYO-FM (100.7 FM) * WLKT-FM (104.5 FM) Notable people * Kit Carson, born near Richmond in Madison County, Kentucky, but raised in Franklin, Missouri * Cassius Marcellus Clay, abolitionist and politician; Minister to Spain and Russia, a founder of the Republican Party * Brutus J. Clay II, son of Cassius M. Clay and Minister to Switzerland * Earle Combs, New York Yankees player, Baseball Hall of Fame member; longtime resident of the area and interred in the Richmond Cemetery. * Odon Guitar, a brigadier general in the Union Missouri State Militia in the American Civil War * Leigh Ann Hester of the Kentucky Army National Guard, first woman in United States military history to be cited for valor in close quarters combat, for action near Salman Pak, Iraq on March 20, 2005; she is the first female recipient of the Silver Star Medal for valor in combat * James B. McCreary, United States Senator and two-term Governor of Kentucky * Samuel Freeman Miller, United States Supreme Court Justice * Fiddlin' Doc Roberts, American old-time fiddler (April 26, 1897 - August 4, 1978) * Jimmy Stokley, singer and member of the band Exile (October 18, 1943 - August 13, 1985) * Samuel Hanson Stone, Kentucky politician, born near Richmond * Keen Johnson, editor of the Richmond Daily Register (1925–39); Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (1935–39); Governor of Kentucky (1939–43); Undersecretary of Labor (1946–47); longtime resident of the area and interred in the Richmond Cemetery. * Robert Kirkman, is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead * Ken Upchurch, member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Wayne County; born in Richmond in 1969 * John Reid Wolfskill, California pioneer See also * Other places named Richmond References External links * City of Richmond * Category:Richmond, Kentucky Category:Cities in Madison County, Kentucky Category:Cities in Kentucky Category:County seats in Kentucky Category:Richmond–Berea micropolitan area